Managing the innovation process can get messy. Not every business has all the necessary staff or expertise to successfully manage the innovation process from ideation to commercial implementation of the best ideas. This is where tools and technologies that are specifically designed to support the innovation process come in.

With innovation being a major board business imperative, your organization should source, implement, and operate the best tools and technology that support your innovation vision. Successful tools and tech support broad and fluctuating levels of participation in innovation, both inside and outside the organization. As part of the sourcing strategy for innovation tools and technology, remember that:

  • Vendor experience with innovation transformation is outpacing client maturity. Most organizations are at an early or intermediate stage in their innovation transformation. Hence, many organizations are looking for outside help to drive businesswide changes and organizational processes.
  • You need to transform your innovation culture, or your innovation technology will remain powerless. Innovation technology helps create a collaborative, agile, outside-in innovation culture. But culture eats not only strategy but also technology, to paraphrase Peter Drucker. Innovation culture and technology mutually reinforce each other.
  • You should avoid implementing an expensive electronic suggestion box. A comprehensive innovation technology infrastructure requires executive commitment. It depends on adequate and long-term funding for resources and expertise. Bolt-on innovation tools won’t deliver transformation.

My report, “Leverage Specialist Tools And Technologies To Drive And Strengthen Sustainable Innovation,” provides an overview of the many tools and technologies available as well as the vendor landscape to help CIOs and their business partners select and roll out the appropriate ones for their innovation efforts.